Easel



G. E. NICHOLS Aug. 7, 1951 EASEL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1946 Q J v v v M y A 4 J)V 0K6 1 9, M V y A m 4.

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5 Z Z? i L w h/i ?atented Aug. 7, 1951 EASEL Gordon E. Nichols, Middleboro, Mass., assignor to Winthrop-Atkins 00., Inc., Middleboro, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts 7 Application March 9, 1946, Serial No. 653,337

1'7 Claims.

This invention pertains to easels, and relates more especially to an easel for holding photographs or the like. For this purpose it is desirable that the easel have a finely finished and ornamental appearance and preferably that it have provision for protecting the photograph, for example by means of a glass or other transparent cover panel. It is also desirable to be able to fold the easel substantially flat when not in use, and likewise that it be possible to install or remove the photograph after the easel itself is fully complete. Furthermore, the photograph should be retained securely in position after it is once inserted, and unless purposely removed.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an easel, preferably a foldable easel, designed securely to hold a photograph or the like, and so arranged that the photograph may be installed and readily removed. A further object is to provide an easel having a chamber for the reception of the photograph, and having a transparent cover panel, and wherein the entrance to the chamber is normally concealed but readily exposed when desired. A further object is to provide an easel comprising a body portion which houses a movable carriage for the photograph and its transparent protective panel, the carriage having an actuating element arranged at the rear of the easel, whereby'the carriage may be moved from a normal position to a position which facilitates the introduction or removal of the photograph. A further object is to provide an easel comprising a body portion which houses a slidable carriage having a chamber for the reception of the photograph, the chamber having an entrance at one end and wherein the entrance to the chamber in the carriage is normally concealed by a part of the body portion of the easel, and wherein the easel has a foldable leg which constitutes a handle for moving the carriage. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description, and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the easel of the present invention, with certain parts broken away, showing the movable carriage in its normal operative position;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the easel with the parts disposed as in Fig. 1, the easel being folded flat;

Fig. '3 is a diagrammatic transverse section, to large scale, on the line -33 of Fig. 1,;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1, .but showing the movable carriage in its upper position;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the easel folded fiat, showing the parts 435 disposed in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the inner or front side of the back ply of the easel body before assembly with the other parts;

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the inner or rear side of the front ply of the easel body, showing it disposed upon a cover sheet and before the latter has been folded;

Fig. 8 is a rear view of a combined spacer and retainer for the movable carriage;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the body portion of the easel after its parts have been assembled;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a blank employed in making the movable carriage, showing the front member of the blank disposed upon a cover sheet,

Fig. 14 is a front elevation of an easel of modi fied construction;

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14, but showing the cover element of the carriage raised to ex pose the rear member of the carriage.

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15, but illustrating the way in which the carriage may be assembled with the body portion of the easel; and

Fig. 1'7 is an edge elevation of the carriage and cover member removed from the easel.

- Referring to the drawings (Figs. 1 to 9), the numeral l designates a substantially rigid generally rectangular panel constituting the body portion of the easel. This body portion-comprises a front ply 2 (Figs. 3 and 9'), and a rear ply 3 (Figs. 3 and 6), spaced apart to provide for the reception of the movable carriage K. The front ply 2 has a window aperture W (Fig. '7') defined by the parallel side edges 4 (Fig. 1), the top edge 5 and the bottom edge 6. The rear ply 3 (Fig. 6) is provided with a central aperture 1 and with an integral brace member 8 (Figs. 2, 5 and 6 projecting upwardly into this aperture, the brace member having a slot S of generally T -shape (Fig. 6) and initially being in the plane of the part .3. The front and rear plies 2 and 3 are bound together by means of a cover sheet 9 (Figs.

1 .and 3') which is secured to the exposed surfacesof the plies 2 and '3 by means of adhesive. This binding or cover sheet may be of any suitable material, for example paper, thin ornamental leather, cloth, or the like, and not only binds the front and rear plies together, but provides the desired external finish.

Interposed between the front and rear plies there is a combined guide and retainer device comprising a guide part I (Figs. 3 and 8) of substantailly the same outside dimensions as the front ply 3 and having a window aperture W (Fig. 8) which may be somewhat larger than the window aperture W in the front ply, and which is bounded by the parallel side edges [5, the bottom edge I2 and the top edge I4. The retainer member II is of the same outside dimensions as the part I8, and also has a window aperture, but this aperture is of somewhat smaller dimensions than the aperture W being bounded by the parallel side edges I6 (Fig. 8), the top edge I3 and a bottom edge which coincides with the edge I2 of the guide member ID. The retainer II may, if desired, be united to the guide member Ill, for example, by means of staples R or by adhesive, although it is not necessary to unite these parts before assembly with the front and rear plies. The retainer member I I is disposed against the inner or rear face of the front ply 2, and the plies 2 and 3 are thereafter united by means of the binder sheet 9, as above suggested. The parts 2, II, I0 and 3 may be directly united by adhesive if desired, as well as by the adhesively coated binder member 9. The edges I5 of the member ID constitute guides for a movable carriage K, hereafter described, while the inner portions of the member II, which overlap the edges I3 and I5, form a retainer for the carriage. The coincident edges I2 of the members I8 and II constitute a lower stop for the carriage, while the edge I3 constitutes an upper stop for the carriage.

The carriage K (Figs. 3 and 13) comprises the front member I! (Fig. 10) having the window aperture D which is usually somewhat smaller than the window aperture W, so that when the carriage is in its normal position (Fig. 1) a portion of the carriage is exposed within the window aperture W to form a frame or mat for the picture. The front member I! (Fig. 10) of the carriage is preferably integrally joined with the back member I8 of the carriage, these parts being united along the fold line I9, which may be scored to facilitate bending. The window D in the part I! is defined by the side edges 20, the top edge 2| and the bottom edge 22. The vertical height of this carriage, between its upper and lower outer edges, is greater than the distance between the bottom edge I2 and the top edge I4 (Fig. 8) of the retainer member II, but is less than the distance between the edge I2 and the edge I3 of the guide member ID of the easel so that the carriage, when assembled with the other parts, may be moved vertically between the stop edges I2 and I3.

The back member I8 of the carriage is furnished with an integral leg member 23 (Fig. 10)

united with the main part of the back along the hinge line 24, where the material may be scored or indented to facilitate bending. The leg is here shown as provided with a central aperture 25, and with an integral tongue 26 projecting down from the upper edge of this aperture. Preferably the carriage includes an intermediate member or screen 21 (Figs. 11 and 13) .of an area substantially equaling that of the front member.

I! of the carriage, and which is interposed between the front member andthe back member so as to conceal the inner surface of the back member with its apertured leg 23.

In assembling the parts (Fig. 13) the front member I! and back member I8 of the carriage are bent along the line IS, the intermediate member or screen 21 is disposed between them, and then the binding or cover sheet 28 is adhesively applied so as to bind the side and top edges of the constituent parts of the carriage together. If desired, a transparent panel G of glass, Celluloid, or the like, may be arranged to engage the inner surface of the front member I I. When the parts are thus assembled, they provide between them a chamber 28, for the reception of a photograph or the like, this chamber having an open entrance 29 at its lower end.

In assembling the easel as a whole, the front member 2 of the body portion of the easel is laid upon the binder sheet 9 (Fig. 7) and the inner marginal flaps 9 of this cover sheet are turned in about the inner edges of the window W, and adhesively secured to the rear side of the front member 2. The combined spacer device, including the parts I0 and II, is now disposed against the rear surface of the front member, the carriage is disposed with its side edges in contact with the edges I5 of the guide member I0, the rear member 3 of the body of the easel is placed over the carriage, and the flaps 9 of the binding sheet are drawn around the edges of the assembly and secured to the rear surface of the rear member 3. Preferably a cover sheet 30 (Fig. 6) is secured to the inner or front surface of this rear member before assembly, and before the flaps 9 are secured to the rear surface of the rear member 3, a cover sheet 3| (Figs. 2 and 5) is glued to the rear surface of the member 3. The cover sheet 38 serves to give a finished appearance to the front side of the backboard by hiding the incising made along the top. and sides of the brace.

In order to insert a photograph into the chamber 28 of the carriage, the operator holds the body portion of the easel with one hand and with the other grasps the leg 23 and moves the latter upwardly relatively to the body portion of the easel. This causes the carriage K to slide upwardly along the guide elements I5 until the upper edge of the carriage contacts the stop I3. In this position the entrance 29 to the chamber 28 in the carriage is exposed (Fig. 4) above the lower edge 6 of the window W in the body portion of the easel. The photograph may now be slipped in through the window W and into the entrance 29 to the chamber 28, and properly adjusted therein so that it is correctly arranged when viewed through the window W. While in Fig. 13 the chamber 28 is indicated as of substantial depth from front to rear, the effect of the binding sheet 26 which extends around the sides and top of the carriage, is such that the glass panel G and the intermediate member or screen 21, are actually quite close together, so that when the photograph is pushed up between them it is frictionally retained in place. After the photograph has been introduced and properly arranged, the leg member 23 is pulled downwardly, thus restoring the carriage to its normal position in which the lower edge of the carriage contacts the stop edges I2 of the parts Ill and II,

the stop edges thus constituting a closure for the.

entrance opening 29 which is now below the edge swung rearwardly and the brace 8 swung downwardly so as to hold the leg inoperative position.

If it is desired toreplace the photograph by another, the above operation may be reversed, the carriage being moved upwardly to expose the entrance 29 to the chamber .28, thuspermitting the original photograph to be removed through the window W and replaced by another.

In the modified construction illustrated inFlgs. 12a, 12b and 14 to 17 inclusive, the body 32 is comprised of the front ply 42, spacer 43, rear ply 44 and wrapper 45. The front ply is provided with the window aperture 33 having the spaced parallel lateral edges .34 and ,35, the marginal portions of the window at its upper end bein recessed as shown at 35 so as to increase the effective width of the window at this point.

The carriage comprises a thin panel portion 31 of rectangular contour and of a width slightly greater than the width of the lower portion oi window 33. The forward face of this panel 351 constitutes a support tor the device to be exhibited, for example, a photograph, or :as here illustrated a pad 38 of paper, ior instance .a

calendar.

While it is not essential that the carriage have a cover member, it is illustrated as having a cover flap All flexibly united or hinged at Al to the upper edge of the panel 31. This cover flap is suitably finished to provide an ornamental appearance, and is of a width substantially .as great as or slightly greater than the recessed upper part of the window .33. If desired this cover flap MI may be provided with a pocket or cavity in its forward face for the reception of ornamental material, for example, a picture or the like, and if desired this cavity may be provided with a glass or other transparent cover 42.

The carriage is assembled with the body of the easel by inserting the lower edge :39 of the panel 3'! in the widened upper part of the window 33 and sliding the panel 31 downwardly so that its edges are slipped behind the margins of the window 33 until the panel occupies the position shown in Fig. 1.5. The cover flap 410 may now be allowed to drop down so as to conceal the pad 38, the picture within the cavity in the cover flap giving an ornamental effect. However, when the user Wishes to observe the pad 38, the cover flap 40 is turned upwardly so as to expose the pad to view. The carriage may readily be moved upwardly relatively to the body 32 of the easel, and

entirely removed if desired, for example in order,

to facilitate replacement or the pad 3.8.

In the above description reference has been made to a photograph as the part to be exhibited through the window W of the easel, but it is be understood that the easel is likewise useiul for exhibiting any other thin sheet-like article and that when reference is made to a phot graph it is to be understood that this is merely by way of convenience in description and not limiting as to, the utility of the easel here described.

The easel of Figs. 14 to .17 may be provided with a leg and brace as illustrated in Figs. 1.2a and 16. As therein shown an easel is attached to the upper edge oi the rear ply and a brace, Fig. 16, is struck out from the rear ply and ex tends rearwardly thereof into engagement with the easel. Fig. 12, and is interlocked therewith by a t u and slot connection as show in the previous figur s- While certain desirable emloov 'ments of the invcntion have been illustrated by way of example,

it to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any-and all modifications falling within the scope of the apncndcdclaimsture to a position where said entrance is con-- 1. An easel comprising a body portion'having a window therein, a carriage housed within the substance of the body portion, the carriage having therein achamber for the reception of a photograph, the chamber being closed at its sides and atone end .and having entrance at its opposite end, the body portion having means for guiding the vcarriage to slide vertically, and means for moving the carriage relatively to the body portion from a position in which the entrance end of carriage is exposed at the window in the body portion to a position where said entrance and is concealed behind the margins of the body portion bordering said window.

2.. An easel comprising a body portion having a window therein, a carriage housed within the substance of the body portion, the carriage having therein a chamber for the receptionof a photograph, the chamber being closed at its sides and at one end and having an entrance at its opposite end, thebody portion having means for guiding the carriage to slide vertically, and means accessible at the rear side of the body portion for moving the carriage relatively to the body portion from a position where the entrance end of the carriage is accessible through the window, to a position in which the entrance end of the carriage is concealed behind the margins of the body portion bordering the window.

3. ,An easel comprising a body portion having a window therein, a carriage .housed within the substance of the body portion, the carriage hav ing therein a chamber for the reception of a photograph, the chamber being .closed at its sides and at one end and having an entrance at its o posite end, the body portion having means for guiding the carriage to slide vertically, a leg-for holding the easel in upright position, said leg being connected to the carriage and constituting a handle for moving the carriage relativelyto the body portion from a position Where the entrance end of the carriage is accessible through the window to a position where said entrance end is concealed from view.

4. An easel comprising a body portion having a window therein, a carriage housed within the substance of the body portion, the carriage having therein a chamber for the reception of a photograph, the chamber being closed at its sides and at one end and having an entrance at its opposite end, the body portion having means for guiding the carriage to slide vertically, a foldable leg for holding the easel in upright position, and a brace for the leg attached to the back of the body portion, the leg being so connected to the carriage that when the leg is in folded positionit constitutes a handle for sliding the carriage relatively to the body portion.

5. An easel comprising a substantially rigid body portion having a window aperture therein, a carriage and means for guiding it to slide vertically relatively to the body portion, the carriage having therein a chamber for the reception of a photograph, the carriage having a Window at its front which may be registered with the window cealed behind the lower margin of the window in the body portion.

6. An easel comprising a substantially rigid body portion, including a front ply having a window aperture therein, a rear ply spaced from the front ply, and a carriage disposed between said plies, the body portion including guide means for the carriage designed to allow the carriage to slide relatively to the body portion, the carriage having therein a chamber for a photograph, the carriage having a window at its front which normally registers with the window in the front ply of the body portion, the carriage being constructed and arranged to provide an entrance to said chamber at an edge of the carriage, and means for moving the carriage relatively to the body portion from a position in which said entrance to the chamber is exposed through the window in the front ply of the body portion to a position in which said entrance is concealed behind the marginal portion of the front ply bordering the window in the latter.

7. An easel comprising a substantially rigid body portion, including a front ply having a window therein, a rear ply spaced from the front ply, and a carriage disposed between said plies, the body portion including guide means for the carriage designed to allow the carriage to slide vertically relatively to the body portion, said guide means being so constructed and arranged that the carriage may slide upwardly from its normal position, but not downwardly, the carriage having therein a chamber for the reception of a photograph and having a window at its front which normally registers with the window in the front ply of the body portion, the carriage being provided at its lower end with an entrance to said chamber which is normally concealed below the margin of the front ply of the body portion bordering the lower edge of the window in the latter, and means for moving the carriage upwardly until the entrance to the chamber is exposed above the lower edge of the window aperture in the body portion.

8. An easel comprising a substantially rigid body portion, including a front ply having a window therein, a rear ply spaced from the front ply, and a carriage disposed between said plies, the body portion including guide means for the carriage designed to allow the carriage to slide vertically relatively to the body portion, said guide means comprising parallel side members which engage the side edges of the carriage, and

stop means to limit upward and downward movement of the carriage respectively, the carriage having a window at its front, the lower stop means being arranged to limit downward movement of the carriage to a position such that the carriage window is normally registered with the window in the front ply of the body portion, the upper stop means being so arranged that the carriage may be moved upwardly from normal position, the lower end of the carriage being designed to provide an entrance to said chamber, and means for moving the carriage upwardly until said entrance is exposed above the lower edge of the window in the body portion.

-9. An easel comprising a substantially rigid body portion including a front ply, a rear ply, and spacer means interposed between said plies, the front ply having a window therein, a carriage interposed between the front and rear plies of the body portion, said carriage having a chamber therein for the reception of a photograph and having a front window, said spacer means way for the carriage, the carriage being slidable in said guideway, the spacer means also defining upper and lower stops for limiting sliding movement of the carriage, the lower stop being arranged to position the carriage with its window in registry with the window in the front ply of the body portion and the upper stop being arranged to permit the carriage to move upwardly from normal position, the carriage having an entrance to its chamber at its lower end, and a foldable leg secured to the carriage and projecting through an aperture in the rear ply of the body portion, said leg constituting a handle by means of which the carriage may be slid vertically relatively to the body portion.

10. An easel comprising a substantially rigid body portion including a front ply, a rear ply, and spacer means interposed between said plies, the front ply having a window therein, a carriage interposed between the front and rear plies of the body portion, said carriage having a chamber therein for the reception of a photograph and position in which the lower edge of the carriage is exposed through said window, the chamber in the carriage being open at the lower edge of the carriage to permit introduction of a photograph into the chamber, and a foldable leg secured to the carriage, said leg extending rearwardly through an aperture in the rear ply of the body portion and constituting a handle for moving the carriage.

11. An easel comprising a substantially rigidbody portion including a front ply, a rear ply and spacer means interposed between said plies, said spacer means providing spaced parallel grooves between the plies, the front ply having a window therein, a carriage interposed between the front.

and rear plies of the body portion, said carriage constituting a support for a photograph inde-: pendently of the body portion and having lateral portions which are disposed between the plies' and which slidably engage the grooves so that the carriage is slidable vertically relative to the body portion, limit stop means situated between the plies below the lower edge of the window ar-,

ranged to support the lower edge of the carriage at such heightwise position with respect to the body portion that the photograph carried thereby is in registration with the window and the lower' edge of the carriage is concealed between the plies, and a foldable member hinged to the carriage and constituting a handle by means of which the carriage may be slid relative to the body portion.

12. An easel comprising a substantially rigid body portion including a front ply, a rear ply and spacer means interposed between said plies, said spacer means providing spaced parallel grooves between the plies, the front ply having a window therein, a carriage interposed between the front and rear plies of the body portion, said carriage constituting a support for a photograph independently of the body portion and having lateral portions which are disposed between the plies and which slidably engage the grooves so that the carriage is slidable vertically relative to thebody portion, limit stop means between the plies below the lower edge of the window arranged to support the lower edge of the carriage at such a heightwise position with reference to the body portion that the photograph is registered with the window and the lower edge of the carriage is concealed between the plies, said limit stop means being constituted by a portion of the spacer extending transversely of the lower end of the body portion between the plies, and a foldable member hinged to the carriage and constituting a handle by means of which the carriage may he slid relative to the body portion.

13. An easel of the kind described in claim 11, wherein the margins of said window have recesses which add to the effective width of the window near its upper end, which afford access to the spaced parallel grooves and through which the lower end of the carriage may be introduced into said spaced parallel grooves.

14. An easel of the kind described in claim 11, wherein a cover flap is hinged to the upper end of the carriage.

15. An easel of the kind described in claim 11, wherein a cover flap is hinged to the upper end of the carriage and is of such dimensions that when it is disposed in normal position from the upper end of the carriage it covers and conceals the window aperture in the panel.

10 16. An easel as described in claim 11, wherein a paper pad is fixed to the front side of the carriage, and a cover flap is hinged to the upper edge of the carriage, said cover flap normally concealing the paper pad and having an ornamental front face.

17. An easel as described in claim 11, wherein a paper pad is fixed to the front face of the carriage, and a cover flap is hinged to the upper edge of the carriage and normally depends therefrorn'so as to conceal said paper pad, the cover flap having a glazed chamber for the reception of a photograph.

GORDON E. NICHOLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 163,212 Kullrich Ma 11, 1875 275,316 Wright Apr. 3, 1883 577,676 Bartoszewicz Feb. 23, 1897 613,091 Stengel Oct. 25, 1898 1,842,473 Glassner Jan. 26, 1932 2,179,699 McKeown Nov. 14, 1939 2,253,751 Beikirch Aug. 26, 1941 2,424,686 English July 29, 1947 

